Do you Believe in Second Chances?
by Ozziewozacat
Summary: Set about 10 years on, the Dragons have gone their separate ways, ending on a bad note. Now, Raimundo and Kimiko are moving up in the world. If they met again, could they put their past behind them?
1. Chapter 1

_Tokyo, Japan. 9:30am. _

"Miss Kimiko, Miss Kimiko!"

Kimiko's eyes fluttered open and she raised her head, looking for the disturbance. Standing to one side of her huge King-sized bed, stood her maid, Hayley.

Kimiko groaned, and sat up, nodding at Hayley to continue.

"Your shoot today has been re-scheduled, to 11:30, so you only have a couple of hours to get ready before the limo arrives!"

Kimiko sighed. "Ok, I'll have breakfast at the studio. I'll get ready now. I should make it on time. And I'll be sure to have a word with whoever decided to change the time…"

"Yes Miss. May I go?"

"Yes. Dismissed" The blonde smiled, and left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Kimiko pushed back the pale blue drapes over her bed, and then opened the matching curtains. Outside, it was bright and sunny, and Kimiko shielded her eyes against the glare as she turned round and made her way to the en-suite bathroom.

_Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 9:30am_

Raimundo awoke to a soft knocking at the door.

"Enter" he groaned, in his opinion it was still much too early to even be _thinking_ about getting up.

The door slowly opened, as if the person standing behind it was scared of entering. A woman with long red hair poked her head around it.

"Er…Sir?"

"Yes?"

"There's someone downstairs who wants to see you. I think he may have something to do with the new film."

"Very well. Take him into the meeting hall. I'll be there in…half an hour?"

"Alright Sir. I'll tell him that."

"Thank you Jane." The door clicked shut again. Raimundo stood up and stretched. Normally, he wouldn't have even been awake for another couple of hours, but according to his secretary, there was a man standing, uninvited, in his lobby. He'd be having a word about that…He yawned once more and made his way towards what would be a very welcome shower.

_A/N: Well, that's it for chapter one! Short, I know, but it gives you a introduction to their lifestyles. Next chapter, we'll look into the separate days of Rai and Kim, and either next chapter, or the one after, the main plot will start. If you're lucky. Or unlucky, depending on which way you look at it. Anyway, review and give me your opinion. I want to know whether or not to continue. _

_TTFN, emstar. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Tokyo, Japan. 11:30am_

Kimiko _knew_ the limo was outside, waiting for her, but she wasn't quite ready. She was dressed, and had already put her black hair up into a neat bun, but she still needed to put on the make-up that she neither liked nor needed. In her opinion, the limo could wait.

Her PA, Susan, was standing behind her, looking nervous, and wringing her hands together.

"Miss Kimiko, we really need to be going now…"

"Yes, Susan, I Know. You keep telling me"

"Sorry Miss…"

Finally, Kimiko screwed the top back on the top of her mascara, and stood up. After the disaster six months ago, Kimiko was adamant that she picked all her clothes out, applied her make-up, and did her hair herself. She never did trust stylists, and the one that Susan had picked out proved that she never should, either. She had found clothes that Kimiko thought should have been made illegal.

"Ok" Kimiko sighed. "Time to get this show on the road".

_Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 11:30am._

Raimundo _had _said half an hour, but he'd turned up for the meeting fashionably late. By an hour, in fact. He made his way down the grand marble staircase onto the ground floor of the huge mansion, to find his secretary waiting at the bottom.

"He's in the meeting room Sir. As you requested."

"Alright Jane. Could you organize for some refreshments please?"

"Yes Sir. Coffee?"

"That would be fine"

As the red head walked away, high heels clinking on the tiled floor, Raimundo sighed to himself.

"Ok. Time to get this show on the road"

And with that, he pushed open the double doors, and steeled himself for yet another meeting with some boring man in his mid 50's, an almost daily experience for him.

_Tokyo, Japan. 11:25._

Kimiko sat in the back seat of the black limo, watching out of the tinted windows as they cruised through the high-tech capital of the world. Next to her, Susan was running through the schedule for the day, after the photo shoot.

"2:00, lunch with the chairman of the model company, to discuss your next shoot. 5:00, shopping for a new outfit for the party. The masked ball, next week. 8:30, we'll go back home, your parents are visiting later."

Kimiko suddenly cut her off.

"Party? Masked ball? Next week?"

"Yes Miss. It's been planned for a while now."

"It has?"

"In London, remember?"

Kimiko thought through the last few months, trying to remember anything about a ball, when suddenly, her door opened, and a hand appeared, ready to help her out. She took it, and stepped out of the limo. A black-suited man was by her side in a second, offering his arm to escort her safely from her car to the tall building.

_Although, _Kimiko thought wryly, _I'm more than capable of defending myself if anyone _did_ try something._ She shook her head to clear herself of the painful memories of her time spent in the Xiaolin Temple.

A revolving door suddenly appeared in front of her, and she stepped through it, into a modern looking lobby.

_Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 11:25._

Raimundo had now been sitting across the table from the chairperson/head of something-or-other/very boring man for 25 minutes, and counting. His eyes drooped slightly, his chin rested in his hand and his mind was far from where his body was. He couldn't help but think how much better he could have focused if he had been allowed another hour or so sleep.

The only thing that kept him from falling asleep was a gentle knock on the door, and a young maid shuffled into the room, carrying a large tray under her arm. It had a coffee pot, mugs, cream, sugar and biscuits. Raimundo had never seen a more welcome sight.

He thanked the maid quietly and pounced on the tray, letting the caffeine poisen hit his system with a grateful sigh.

Fifteen minutes later, the meeting was finally over, and Raimundo called for Jane to escort the still anonymous man out. As soon as the door closed, Raimundo let his head hit the oak table with a loud thud. When he'd finally gathered enough energy to move, he stood up and started to make his way back towards his bedroom, when he was intercepted halfway up the stairs.

"Sir?" Jane called out. Raimundo groaned.

"Yes?"

"I just need to run through the rest of today, alright?"

"Can't I sleep first?"

"I don't think you have time for that Sir…at 5:00, your tailor's arriving, you need a new suit for the party next week."

"What party?"

"The masked ball Sir. In London, remember?"

"No"

Jane smiled and skimmed over her clipboard.

"Oh, and your parents are dropping by later."

Raimundo groaned again.

"Well, let me sleep until three or something. That's plenty of time."

"Yes Sir."

_A/N: Yet another short chapter…I promise it'll be longer next time, ok? Thanks to all the people who reviewed, and I hope you liked this chapter! TTFN, emstar._


	3. Chapter 3

_Tokyo, Japan. 8:30pm._

Kimiko was, once again, in the back of the limo, sipping from a glass of iced water. She eyed the seats around her, covered in bags from various shops, all of them either designer or very expensive. She was pleased with the outfit she had chosen, and was running over suitable hairstyles in her head.

Outside, it was edging towards dusk, but the tinted windows made it look almost dark. She saw flashes of neon as the limo sped through the city, towards her large house. As the limo slowed to a stop, Kimiko wondered what time her parents would be arriving, and what they would find to criticize this time.

She let herself into the lobby and walked across the tiles to the elevator on the opposite side. Behind her, Susan carried her many bags. Susan left her at her the door to her private quarters, placing the bags just inside.

As soon as the door had closed and Susan's footsteps had faded, Kimiko turned and sank to the floor, her back against the wall. She rested her head on her knees and sighed. Sometimes she hated this life…it was all so complicated; you had to act a certain way, speak a certain way, and even _think _a certain way.

For the second time that day, her mind flitted back to her childhood, the worry-free days where she was constantly surrounded by her friends. She had no idea why these memories kept coming back, she hadn't thought of her past for months…she thought of her old friends, and an idea came to her.

She stood up and walked towards her computer, sitting down on the blue leather chair. The screen flickered to life, and she quickly opened an e-mail program. Her fingers rested on the keyboard for a moment, then darted across the keys, forming a letter on the screen.

_Hey!_

_I haven't spoken to you guys in a while, and I thought I'd just catch up on some news! How're you doing? Everything ok? When you have time, could you write back and tell me what's been going on in your lives?_

_Well…'till then, with love,_

_Kimiko._

After a few seconds, she stopped, and looked up at the three lines. It wasn't much, but it got the point across. She entered two addresses in the bar at the top, and clicked on send.

_Message sent_

She wondered how long it would take Omi and Clay to reply. She'd taught them how to use e-mail, and for a while they'd stayed in regular contact, but then things happened and she had much less time to herself, and Omi and Clay couldn't spend all day at their computers either, so e-mails where much less frequent.

One thought suddenly flickered forward, and it wasn't exactly welcome. None of them had spoken to Raimundo since the day they'd left the temple. And in her book, that was a good thing. She wouldn't speak to him if she was paid.

_Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 8:30pm_

Raimundo's parents had rung, and told his secretary they would be arriving at 9:00. He'd got dressed into a pair of jeans and a hoodie, dismissed his tailor and now he was sitting on his bed, flicking through the channels on his 40 inch plasma screen. He found an extreme sports channel and relaxed into his pillow to watch it.

The next thing he knew, there was someone knocking loudly on his door. He stood up and wrenched it open, glaring at Jane, who was standing on the other side.

"What!"

"You're parents are here Sir…"

"Oh. Five minutes"

"Yes Sir."

Six and a half minutes later, Raimundo was running down the stairs, two at a time. He reached the bottom, and jumped down the last three, into the lobby. He slowly approached the lounge, where he could hear voices. He looked through the glass panel in the door to see his parents sitting on the large leather sofa.

He poked his head round the door, and smiled apologetically. There was a loud scream from inside and Raimundo was yanked into the room.

"RAI!"

"Hello Mum." He was pulled into a back-breaking hug from his mother, who was about a head shorter than him. Behind her, his father stood up and extended his hand, which Raimundo shook.

"How have you been doing?"

"I've been fine thanks Mum."

"My little Rai, living on his own, house, job, car…"

"Yes Mum. I'm not a kid any more, you know."

"But you're only 25…"

"Which is more than old enough to be living on your own, dear" His father jumped to Raimundo's defense. To his left, Raimundo steeled himself from the question he knew was coming.

"Have you spoken to any of your old friends Rai?"

"No Mum."

"Why not?"

"I've explained this many times Mum. Because I don't want to. I might get in contact with Omi and Clay, but that's it."

"What about that lovely girl you used to get along with so well? What was her name…? Kimberly?"

"Kimiko. And I wouldn't talk to her if you paid me."

_A/N: Well, there was chapter 3! Thanks to anyone who reviewed, I'm glad you liked it. Sorry it took so long to get out, but I had to re-write it about 3 times, cos I didn't like it. Sorry for any plot holes, spelling or grammar mistakes. I try! TTFN, emstar. _


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: I know I don't normally do notes at the beginning, but I guess this needs to be said: most people who reviewed said "why aren't they talking?" Well, you'll find out within a few chapters, maybe. The whole title 'do you believe in second chances' might give you a bit of a clue…second chances at what exactly? Only I know…_

_Please review and tell me what you think, I appreciate your comments. I'm gonna shut up now…_

_One week later, Tokyo, Japan. 5:30am._

The sun was just rising, and yet the city was thriving. For once, Kimiko was thankful for the tinted windows of the limo, for many people were peering in, trying to get a glimpse of the star inside.

They were stuck in traffic, on their way to the nearest airport. Because of her status there was no need for the three hour wait before check-in, and she could spend the time she had to wait in the VIP lounge. The only part she was dreading was the walk from the limo to the terminal. She eyed the hat and sunglasses on the seat next to her, wondering if they alone could stop her getting recognized by anyone who saw her.

Behind her limo, there was another, holding three armed body-guards who would escort her to the lounge, and on the plane. The limo finally pulled into the specially reserved parking space, and the chauffeur cut the engine. Kimiko wasn't sure if she was ready to leave the safety of the car, but when her driver opened the door, and her body-guards appeared behind her, she realized she didn't have a choice.

With her 'disguise' in place, Kimiko bowed her head and started to walk towards the double doors into the airport. Although it was only a few meters, it seemed miles, and every time someone walked past her, she was sure they would suddenly recognize her, and shout out. She quickened her pace, and the automatic doors slid open. Almost immediately, a short tubby lady appeared in front of her.

"Miss Toho! I'm going to escort you to the lounge where you'll be waiting before your flight." She gestured at her name badge. "My name's Linda, and you can ask me for anything you need."

Kimiko was about to reply, when Linda turned around and started to walk swiftly across the floor to a flight of stairs. Kimiko blinked twice and followed her, pausing to make sure a porter had all her cases.

_One week later, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 5:30pm_

Raimundo was sitting on a black leather couch in the VIP lounge of the airport. He'd chosen to fly from the airport closest to his home, and he'd been here for about fifteen minutes now. Every few minutes the lady who had shown him would ask him if he wanted everything, but all he'd taken was a cup of coffee.

In all honesty, he didn't really mind going on this trip. He'd only been London once before, and that was when he was a lot younger, and he wanted the chance to have another look. The masked ball was just a slight hindrance which he would attend, meet a few boring people and leave. Nothing exciting.

Suddenly, his thoughts got interrupted buy a light cough. It was the lady back again.

"If you'd like to make your way to the plane, sir?"

He nodded and stood up. Someone picked up his hand luggage, and he left the lounge.

_A/N: ok, very short very crap chapter. But, I'm really tired and stuff. I know there's a time difference between Brazil and Japan, but I have no idea what it is. It's gonna be easier when they get to London…hope you didn't get too confused. I'll try and get the next chapter up soon, ok? Something will happen soon, promise. TTFN, emstar. _


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: grins sheepishly I'm so sorry for the huge wait, but I guess I just couldn't be bothered to write…I've finally got my butt into gear, and this is the fifth chapter._

_I'm not gonna include the plane journey, for the simple fact that it would bore you to death, so it starts when they arrive at their hotels in London. Thanks to whoever told me the time difference between Japan and Brazil, much appreciated. The flight lengths are total guess work, so sorry for that. You can blame my dad. _

_Oh yeah, this chapter's dedicated to **Devilishchic. **Because she. Or he…reviewed and told me to update! So you can thank her. Or him…but with a name like that, I'm guessing you're a girl! Lol…_

Kimiko shivered and drew her jacket further around her shoulders as she scowled. The sky couldn't be described as anything other than grey, and it was raining hard. (A/N: Makes a change, huh?) She was waiting for the car to arrive to take her to her hotel, and it was late.

She sighed with relief as a black car pulled up in front of her, and a uniformed man opened the door. As soon as she and her luggage were in, the car sped off, and they were soon driving through the packed streets of London. Despite the weather, the sidewalks were packed, and the roads were almost stationary.

When they eventually arrived at the hotel, there was an identical black car already outside, surrounded by cameras and microphones. Kimiko wasn't too shocked at this, and decided that she could use this to her own advantage. She waved away the porter (A/N: You know, the people who work at the hotel…) who tried to open her door, and stepped out onto the pavement. (Sidewalk for all you Americans.)

The huge crowd of people around the other car didn't seem to notice her. Whoever they were interviewing seemed to have their full attention. Kimiko felt sorry for the poor person. She motioned to the porter to carry her bags, and took the steps up to the hotel at an almost run.

The lobby was huge. Kimiko, used to this, didn't really notice. All she cared about was the roaring fire either side. It was decorated to look cozy, with large over-stuffed armchairs along each wall, all piled with cushions. Between each chair was a small wooden table, with a lamp on each, casting soft light across the large room.

Kimiko navigated the furniture with slight difficulty and approached the desk. Behind it, sat a tall, thin woman, who reminded Kimiko of a school teacher.

The woman looked her up and down, giving her an almost disapproving look.

"Name?" She asked.

"Kimiko Tohomiko" (I think I spelt that right…)

The woman's eyes skimmed over the list in front of her, before holding out a key.

"Room 330"

Kimiko took the key offered and put it in the pocket of her trousers. She walked towards the lift and called it down. Eventually, it came.

By the time Raimundo arrived at the hotel, he was thoroughly bored. He hated long journeys, and although that one wasn't supposed to be long, the bad weather had caused traffic jams all over the city.

There had been an army of reporters waiting outside the hotel when his car had pulled up. He'd mentally steeled himself and stepped out of the car, leaving his bags for someone else to collect. In a flash, there had been microphones and cameras in his facing, wanting to know what he was doing in London, and any details about his personal life they could squeeze out of him.

Of course, he was too preoccupied to notice the other car pull up, and the girl with black pig-tails step out. He didn't see her run up the steps and through the huge glass door. And she didn't notice him.

It was fifteen minutes before Raimundo could get away from the reporters, and by then, the weather had worsened considerably. When the press finally took the hint and left, realizing that he wasn't going to tell them anything, he was left standing outside in the rain.

A tall man in a suit came rushing out of the hotel, and towards him, carrying a black umbrella. Raimundo sighed in relief as the torrent of rain stopped, only if it was just under his little bit of shelter.

The man walked him into the lobby, before running back down for his bags. By the time he arrived back inside, the car had pulled away. Raimundo walked over the reception desk, followed by the man and all his luggage. The woman gave him a haughty glare. Raimundo got the impression that she did this a lot.

She handed him a key.

"Room 336"

Raimundo nodded at the woman and thanked her. She ignored him. Raimundo looked around.

"Er…where's the lift?"

The woman just pointed, not even looking up from the mountain of paperwork under her long nose. He just raised an eyebrow and followed the direction of her finger, motioning for the man holding his luggage to follow.

_(A/N: Well…it's short. But better than nothing, right? I'll do my best to be quicker with the next one, kay? Later!)_


	6. Chapter 6

Kimiko slipped the key inside the lock and swung the door open. What she saw shocked her, to say the least.

She was used to living in luxury, but this was just…wow…

The room was huge. The walls were cream, and the floor was pale, almost white wood. Against one wall was a colossal bed, with blue covers and pillow. One whole was windows, slightly tinted, so the light could get in, but you couldn't see in from the outside.

There was a huge wardrobe, next to the bathroom door. Next to that was a desk, with a flat screen computer on it. Kimiko vaguely wondered how much she was paying for this. She was only staying for a week, but this must be costing loads.

Her bags had been left in the corner, just inside the door, and she unzipped the closest one.

When she got halfway through the second one, she found what she was looking for. A nightdress. It might have only been early afternoon, but she was exhausted. After quickly changing, she climbed in between the soft sheets of the bed and quickly drifted off.

Raimundo, however, paid almost no attention to the room he had just stepped into. He probably wouldn't have cared if the room was bright pink, as long as there was a bed in it.

Half way through the lift journey, he had realized just how tired he was. The flight had really tired him out, and the time difference was getting to him. He kicked his shoes into the corner, and grabbed his luggage from the man still standing outside, before slamming the door in his face.

There was a faint "Good day Sir" Before the man disappeared.

He didn't reply. He'd just caught sight of the bed in the corner. And it looked very inviting. Without even getting changed, he flopped onto the mattress, grinning as it bounced under his weight. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

When Kimiko awoke, the light was streaming in from the large amount of windows. She groaned, and turned over. Half an hour, there was a knock on the door. She grunted, hoping whoever was outside would figure she was still asleep and leave her alone.

No such luck. The knocking only persisted. Eventually Kimiko stood up and trudged to the door. When she threw it open, the glare on her face was enough to scare anyone away.

And the poor maid look absolutely terrified. She was short and slightly round, and almost her whole body was obscured by a large silver trolley.

"I was told to bring you breakfast, Miss!" She squeaked, holding out a tray, covered with a cloth.

Kimiko's glare softened slightly, and she took the tray out of the girl's hands.

"Thanks."

The girl just smiled, grabbing the handle of her trolley and speeding down the corridor towards the next room.

Kimiko watched her go, before turning round and shutting the door behind her. She sat down on the bed, and lifted the cloth off of the tray.

Laid out before her was a full English breakfast. Bacon, eggs, sausages, fried bread, friend mushrooms and tomatoes, and hash browns.

She liked her lips and dug in, all manners forgotten.

Raimundo was woken by exactly the same noise, by exactly the same maid, five doors down from Kimiko.

As soon as he saw the tray she was holding, he pounced on it, muttering a quick "Thanks" before closing the door.

The maid blinked a few times at the space Raimundo had been in, and was now replaced with painted wood. She shrugged, and continued down the corridor.

Inside, Raimundo was halfway through his breakfast.

_(A/N: Wow! Two chapters in one night! Well, I guess it makes up for the huge wait before…has anyone noticed I keep saying 'huge'? I need to stop that. And this chapter is short, just like all the others. I guess I just write like that! _

_I expect lots of reviews showing your gratitude for my double update, kay? Nah, I'm just kidding. Reviews would be nice though…hint, hint._

_This is dedicated to anyone who likes Teen Titans, and thinks Raven and Beastboy should get together. Hehe. Sorry…I'm kinda addicted to that show…and that pairing, come to think of it! Oh, and to my bestest mate in the whole wide world, Lucy! She won't even read this…but oh well. She's a great mate, and a great writer. vbarethebest. Go check her out!)_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: This took a while, didn't it? Sorry 'bout that. I don't have an excuse except 'it's nearly Christmas!'. This will probably be the last update until the New Year, but you never know. I might get really bored…_

Kimiko was bored. Really, really bored. This was most defiantly not a feeling she was used to, and she was positive she didn't like it. She'd explored the hotel from top to bottom, rather like a small child would, and she'd even been into a few shops on the opposite side of the street in the half hour it wasn't raining.

A note had been delivered to her room a few minutes before, and now Kimiko was sitting on the computer chair re-reading it. It was only a few sentences and if she tried, she could probably recite it. It wasn't even that interesting either…That's just what being bored does to you.

_Miss Tohomiko,_

_Your secretary, Susan, will be arriving at 5:30. She will have your clothes for this evening, and a small staff of make-up artists and hairdressers will also assist you. A limousine from a well-trusted company will pick you up from the hotel at 7:15 to take you to the party. Please be ready by this time. _

_The Hotel Staff_

Although the letter was polite, Kimiko could tell they were warning her to be ready by 7:15, almost daring her not to be. And make-up artists and hairdressers? Why? She was old enough to get herself ready. She sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now. It wasn't as if she wasn't expecting it, either. People seemed to think that as soon as someone became slightly famous, they lost the ability to dress themselves. She'd just have to grin and bare it.

o0o

Raimundo had just finished lunch when someone knocked on the door. He grunted slightly, and the person let themselves again. He just looked at the man blankly. He had never seen him before, and had no idea who he was.

"Yes?"

The man looked down at the piece of paper in one hand.

"Raimundo Pedrosa?"

"Yeah…?"

The man ducked out of sight for a second, before returning, clutching a small suitcase.

"This is your suit for tonight"

"I have to wear a suit? You're joking, right? How formal is this thing supposed to be?"

"Quite, apparently. My instructions were to deliver this to your room, then make sure you're wearing it when you leave. That was stressed quite a lot. They seemed pretty sure you'd try and wear something else. I'm also to be your bodyguard for the evening"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of A4 paper.

"These are papers. You know, so you'll trust me"

Raimundo took them off him and placed them on the desk without reading them. He checked his watch. It was 4:30. He was being picked up about 7:15. That gave him a few spare hours to…do what? There wasn't anything to do. He'd been on the internet all morning, wishing there was something else to do. He'd also gone down to the gym for about an hour, but soon got bored and returned to his room. God, this was boring…

o0o

True to her word, Susan turned up at 5:31, a small troop behind her, consisting for four women. They all smiled politely and sat down when Kimiko offered them a seat on the long couch.

"Hello Susan. How're you?"

"Fine, thank you. And you?"

"Bored. Very bored"

Susan smiled slightly.

"Well, if you want to go and wash your hair, we can start. I hope your dress isn't too creased…"

"Alright…"

As the bathroom door clicked shut behind her, she leant her head on the cool wood. She was in for one hell of an evening.

o0o

A frown appeared on Raimundo's forehead as soon as he opened the case containing his suit. I wasn't as if it wasn't very nice, that wasn't it. In fact, it looked pretty nice. It was the fact that it was a _suit_. One that had a stiff collar and a tie. There was no way.

Hang on…he'd been told he had to wear the suit…did that include what condition it was it? Hmm…

He had an idea…

_A/N: I think it might be slightly longer than the last couple, but I don't know. I don't keep track of how long the chapters are._

_I hope you guys liked it, 'cos I didn't. Review, please. That could be my Christmas present…XD!_

_Merry Christmas everyone! And a Happy New Year!_

_Ozziewozacat._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Hey peoples! How you all doing? Good Christmas? Happy new year? I know, it took ages for me to get this all done, but when does it ever not? You should be used to it by now. _

_Some bad news – I'm running out of motivation for this one…I'll probably just keep writing it because it's getting reviews but the chapters sound flat and boring, in my opinion. I still appreciate your feedback however, because it makes me feel all squishy :)_

The car turned up right on time, but Kimiko wasn't expecting anything different. In the world she lived in, everything ran on a schedule. It annoyed her sometimes. She didn't like the fact that everything was organized for her – it was like she wasn't living her own life.

She was escorted down to the lobby by a man she didn't recognize – just someone in a grey suit who she'd forget about the moment his face went out of view. The woman who had checked her in the day before had been replaced with a slightly younger model, who looked up as Kimiko stepped out of the lift, but as soon as she was past the desk, her attention went back to the magazine she was reading.

Her escort opened the door for her, and held it as she walked through. Night was just falling in London, although it was still early. What was to be expected in April? From her position at the top of the stone steps she could see the traffic rushing past, headlights all ready on. She was glad it had stopped raining, and although there was a slight breeze, it was a nice evening with a clear sky.

She sat down on the leather seats in the car, and the driver shut the door after her. Once he had climbed back in again, the car pulled out into the traffic.

OoO

Raimundo grinned as he caught sight of the expression on his bodyguard's face.

"Sir, I'm not quite sure that was the idea…"

Raimundo's smile widened. He looked down at the suit he was wearing – it had only taken a while to customize, and it still fit the regulations. It was a suit, after all. So what if it was a bit scruffy? He'd left the top button of the shirt undone, and had turned up the collar of the shirt slightly. He'd picked out another tie – what was the point of a boring black one? This one was fluorescent pink and the knot was very loosely tied. He'd decided against the black shoes he'd been given in the case, and was wearing black converse – and the jacket? The bodyguard thought it has been left untouched until Raimundo turned round and he caught sight of the large ying/yang sign chalked on the back.

"And have you got the mask?"

Raimundo held it up – it was plain black, apparently the only thing he hadn't tampered with. The bodyguard sighed.

"Let's go then – I'm still not sure about the outfit, though…"

"Why not? It's a suit, right?"

"Yes. I suppose so"

Raimundo smirked. Somehow, this evening didn't look like it was going too bad.

OoO

The car pulled up and Kimiko got her first sight of the manor house. It was huge, much bigger than where she lived. It was all white bricks and ivy – it looked very…English, she supposed.

As she walked up to the large doors, she craned her neck, wanting to see as much of it as she could. She caught sight of a man at the door grinning at her. She smiled back.

"Hello, Madam, good evening. I hope you enjoy yourself." He took her coat, and showed her the way to go to find main hall.

The first thing she noticed was how many people where there. She held her mask up to her face, as many others were doing, and took in the sheer numbers of them. They were everywhere, milling around the bottom of the stairs, dancing in pairs, or sitting at one of the small tables dotted around the edge of the hall.

Everywhere, there were black tuxedos and ball gowns of all colors, many similar to her pale blue one, made deliberately in an old-fashioned English style. A waiter passed her, carrying a tray with tiny champagne flutes balanced on it. She picked one up and sipped politely out of it.

As she walked through the crowed room, she recognized various faces of friends and associates. She smiled and nodded, and spoke to as few of them, and eventually arrived at a table. She sat down on the padded chair and watched the party take place. This was her type of place; lots of people, music, dancing, socializing, all the things she was good at. She smiled as she realized that a life of fame wasn't as bad as she normally thought it was.

_A/N: So there we go! Chapter eight! Sorry it took so long, but as I said, I'm getting bored of this one. Hopefully I'll get more interested once the meet up again, which should be next chapter, by the way._

_Just a quick note, but if anyone fancies reading some of my original work, e-mail me and I'll send it to you. I'm after some feedback. I'd put it up on fictionpress but I'm not sure it's good enough…_


	9. Chapter 9

Raimundo couldn't help but whistle as the enormous house came into view. His was big, yes – but this one was…wow. Stupidly big. The bodyguard-turned-chauffeur smiled slightly at his reaction. The car rolled smoothly to a halt and the man turned round to look at him.

"The party is being held in the main hall, I was told to tell you, but I don't think you'll be able to miss it. My only other message was, and I quote, 'stay out of trouble'. It was quite forceful as well, so I think you'd do well to heed it."

Raimundo chuckled and nodded. The warning could have been from anyone of a large number of people. He didn't care. This was his life.

And anyway, he had a reputation. He was the prankster, the joker, the bad boy. He'd been known as many things throughout his life, a good number of them similar to those. Who was he to let everyone down?

Inside, the place looked even grander. A man waited by the open door to take his jacket, but he refused. He still wasn't used to the English weather – warm one minute, raining the next. He decided to be on the safe side and keep his jacket on.

He blinked as he stepped from the relative quiet of the entrance hall into the organised chaos of the party. Everywhere – there were people. Men in suits and women in ball gowns. Some faces were covered with masks – some plain and black, like his, others gaudy and sparkling in the low lighting.

The sea of faces was almost overwhelming, along with the steady buzz of laughter and quiet conversations. He made his way over to one of the small tables draped with white table cloths and intricate centre-pieces, taking a seat in a high-backed chair upholstered in maroon velvet. A waiter walked past with a silver tray of champagne and Raimundo picked up a thin crystal flute, downing the contents in one.

The only other occupants of the table, a slightly older couple, gave him a slightly haughty look. He stared back, daring one of them to say something. They both turned away quickly.

Thankfully, he'd arrived almost an hour after the party had started, so dinner was served within minutes of his arrival. Another suited man stood by a pair of double doors, ushering guests into the banquet hall. People filtered in, slowly at first, and Raimundo realised, for the first time that it might have been a good idea to bring a date. There were very few people on their own, and he was one of them.

The banquet table was the same as the smaller tables in the other room, except it was very long, almost the whole length of the room, and rectangular. It too had centre-pieces every few feet, and the cloth was plain and white. He wandered slowly up one side, looking for his place name. One by one, people began to sit down, and Raimundo finally found his seat.

It was right at the end, on the left hand side. The seat to his right was all ready taken by a young woman with blonde hair, and she completely ignored him as she talked to who he assumed to be her husband. The chair opposite him was still empty.

He glanced at his wristwatch – less that five minutes until the meal was supposed to begin, and still no one arrived to claim the empty seat. He tried to suppress a yawn. Oh well. As long as the food got here soon, he didn't care.

OoO

Kimiko started at her reflection, watching her dark eyes recover from their state of nervousness. She felt her pulse rate return to its normal level and severely shook her head at the mirage of herself.

Nope, she told herself. It couldn't have been. Absolutely no way. Impossible. It could have been anyone. The room was dark and large, and she could have easily made a mistake.

But somehow she didn't believe what she was telling herself. Yes, she knew it was a million to one chance, and she knew it was very unlikely. However, she also knew it had been Raimundo Pedrosa she had seen across the crowded room.

It had been a fleeting glance, but she was certain it was him. She had recognised him instantly, even from the distance. It hadn't just been his face she had recognised either – very few people went to a _masked ball_ in fluorescent pink ties.

But still – she couldn't stay in the toilets all evening, even if _he_ was out there. She'd have to face the music sometime, and anyway, she was getting hungry. What were the chances, with all the people here, they'd actually bump into each other? _Very slim, _Kimiko told herself as she left the bathrooms.

She blushed as she entered the dining room, almost shrivelling under the death glares of other guests at she saw there was only one seat unoccupied – hers. She forced herself to stand up tall and walk at normal speed towards the high-backed chair. It was only when she was three or four feet away that she realised something very important.

Her assigned chair had been placed directly opposite from a certain brunette that she hadn't seen for nearly ten years…and hadn't exactly parted with on a good note.

Raimundo.

It took every ounce of self-discipline she possessed to not just turn and run. She studied him as neared, seeing as he was looking, with a bored expression, away from her. He'd grown his hair slightly longer in the time they'd spent apart, but it was still as messy as ever. He was still tanned, too, but that wasn't strange. What was to be expected?

And, she noticed with a slight pang, he was still as good-looking as she remembered.

She pulled out her chair carefully, and slid into it, careful not to crease her dress. He looked up as she sat down, nodded slightly, and turned away again. Less than three seconds later, he turned his head sharply back round, eyes wide.

For a few seconds, he regarded her with some kind of surprise.

"It's you." He said, finally.

'Charming' she thought, but nodded. "Yeah. It's me."

He cleared his throat as a waiter placed a small bowl of prawn cocktail in front of them. "So…how have you been? I've seen you…in magazines…and stuff" He trailed off.

She nodded slowly. "I've been fine. You?"

She hated herself for being so civil with him, when all she wanted to do was scream and shout and ask him why she'd never been able to move on – never been able to have a serious relationship because somewhere in the back of her mind she'd thought that one day he might turn up.

"Yeah, I'm fine too. Really busy, but that's a good thing."

She smiled politely, and turned towards her started. She had no idea what to say, and she didn't know why. They'd been best friends, hadn't they? Close enough to tell each other anything…

A familiar fist of guilt rammed its way through Kimiko's gut. She'd had to ruin, hadn't she? Her damn feelings just had to get in the way. If only she could have just kept her big mouth shut for once, and…just kept it from him, then maybe the four of them would still be in contact. Or, at least, more than they were now.

But no. She'd spoken her mind, like she did every time…and now things would never be the same.

_Fin Chapter Nine_

Well, it only took me a few months Sorry about that, I have no excuses. I just hope the next one will be up faster, seeing as I've been writing this for almost a year, and only have nine chapters.

So they finally met! Next chapter may just be a big flashback, so you guys will get a bit of a background on what happened between them. Or I might leave it until a later chapter. Not quite decided yet :P

Please review, whether you enjoyed it or not. I'd like to know what could have been better.

Ozziewozacat.


	10. Chapter 10

Raimundo's first instinct was to run. As far away as possible, as fast as he could. But seeing as he was in the middle of a formal dinner, surrounded by various celebrities, running would have been the worst thing he could have done.

So he stayed seated, and forced himself through a polite and somehow detached conversation with her. The mix of feelings inside him were tying themselves into a knotted ball in his gut making it near impossible to force out words...And keeping in the ones he wanted to say.

What could he say? Apologising...Would be stupid. Futile, and nowhere near enough to repair the damage that had been done nearly ten years ago.

"_Raimundo...I have to talk to you"_

He remembered the conversation like it had only taken place a few hours ago...But wished he didn't. He had no idea how he'd let the words he'd said come out of his mouth – in fact, he wasn't sure how he could have even thought them. And to think, he'd blamed her...

"_Raimundo, are you in there?" Kimiko stood outside the curtain separating Raimundo's 'room' from the corridor. "I need to talk to you..."_

_Inside, Raimundo stood still. He had a strange feeling he knew what she was going to say. And he was scared._

"_Yeah." He bit out. "I'm listening."_

"_Can you come out?" She said "I want to say it to your face."_

_He pulled back the curtain to be met with a pair of startlingly blue eyes. Her hair, for once, was black, but unable just to leave it, she'd dyed the tips bright pink._

"_Yeah? What is it?"_

_He saw the flash of doubt in her aquamarine eyes before it disappeared and she drew herself up, in preparation for what she was going to say._

"_Why have you been ignoring me?"_

He was looking into those very eyes right now. They seemed as shockingly blue as they always had, almost as familiar to him as his own. And they were looking back at him, questions in their depths. He shook himself a little, and pulled himself together enough to know that she had just asked him a question

"Huh? Sorry, what did you say?"

She sighed lightly. "Nothing...Nothing."

Oh, God, who was the idiot who thought up the seating plan? He supposed the host wasn't to know – no one knew that supermodel Kimiko Tohomiko and actor Raimundo Pedrosa might once have known one another. One came from the heart of Rio, the other from Tokyo. There was nothing to hint to anyone who didn't know them that there had ever been anything between these two. To anyone sitting nearby, it looked like they were making polite small talk.

Which, in a way they were. It just had the awkwardness of past mistakes mixed in with it. He looked at her, wondering if he should say something. Anything.

She looked stunning, as usual, and Raimundo couldn't ignore that. Her hair was darker than he remembered – thicker, more shiny, but then again, she was a model, right? She couldn't exactly afford to not have nice hair.

Her eyes flicked up to his, concious of his scrutiny. He fought down a blush and continued the starter. He suddenly found that all traces of his usually large apatite had vanished. He poked the food with his fork, annoyed with himself for reacting in this way. What the Hell was wrong with him? It had happened almost ten years ago – he doubted she was still hung up over what he recalled as 'the incident'.

"_What? What do you mean?"_

_She closed her eyes momentarily. "C'mon, Rai, you know what I mean. Ever since...ever since you came back, you've been really cold. It's as if...as if..."_

"_As if you don't care"_

_He stiffened. He knew what he had to say. But just because it was there didn't make it any easier. Here was Kim, the one girl that had showed more than friendship to him...Who didn't mind his pranks and immature jokes...Who, even through the whole deal with Wuya and his...betrayal, had believed in him enough to bring him back._

_And did he deserve that? No way. If he showed her what he actually felt for her, it would just end up hurting her in the end. If he gave into himself, and let this relationship carry on...then he would hurt her._

_He wouldn't mean to...it would be impossible for him to purposefully hurt her, but it would happen. He didn't trust himself any more. If he was weak enough to turn to the dark side once...then what was to stop himself doing it again? _

"_Maybe that's because I don't"_

_He knew as soon as the words had come out of his mouth that they were the wrong ones. Maybe...maybe this had been a mistake. He saw the flash of hurt across her face and it ripped him in two._

_'Take it back! Take it back! Apologise!' his mind urged him, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Words couldn't repair what he'd just done. It was for the best, right? This way, he'd save her from getting hurt again..._

_So why did he feel like he had just made the biggest mistake of his life?_

The memories were painful, but there was nothing he could do...wanted to do...to get rid of them. That had been the start of the team falling apart. His words and actions to the girl he loved has broken up the four of them...so much so that there was nothing he could do to repair it. It was all his fault.

There we go. Finally, I've got it up. It's not long, but it sure took me long enough. Sorry for the wait, people. I'll try not the leave it this long next time! Please review!


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